Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

dormant hiv

hello everyone. im 25 years old and i started having sex at 18. ive had unprotected sex with girlfriends and girls i didnt know too well. ive also had masterbation sessions and protected anal with men. i recently decided to go get a std test and hiv test at planned parenthood and everything came out negative, i didnt have any sexual encounters for 6 months just to be sure i could have a accurate test, i told the nurse that and i was just like i wanted to be sure everything was ok, and she said oh well sometimes hiv is dormant and wont show up on the test. i was in disbelief. i know its been about 7 years where i coulda done more to be safe but as a younger man i didnt really think about all this stuff and now that im getting older im trying to be safe and healthy. im not sure what kind of test it was they did but they drew blood and it was a antibody test, i was under the assumption a hiv test would let me know if i had it, but to find out it could not be detected if it was dormant? she said she was new and not that knowledgeable about everything but it really has me worried like if i caught something 6 years ago if it would show up at all. does anyone with some knowledge about this help me out and maybe explain it to me or tell me what she meant by all of that and if i need more testing and if so what other tests i would need or something i would really really appriciate it so much, thanks
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
thanks for the comments, it just had me worried that she said that, like if it was 4 years ago or something maybe longer that it may not show up,so i dont need another test right, it would have caught it if there was anything? sorry she just got me scared and im not familiar with this topic like the testing and timelines of it
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HIV does not lay dorman so that a test would be undetectable.
Helpful - 0
755829 tn?1246919225
It does lie dormant to a certain extent, but will show up on a test, that Nurse needs re-training!  You don't need to worry your test is consclusive.
Helpful - 0
186166 tn?1385259382
that nurse is an idiot ! ! ! ! !

3 months after your last potential exposure is when a test is considered conclusive.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the HIV Prevention Community

Top HIV Answerers
366749 tn?1544695265
Karachi, Pakistan
370181 tn?1595629445
Arlington, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.